Ashtanga Yoga 101

July 3, 2017/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Yoga

Ashtanga yoga gets its name from asha and tanga, eight limbs. It is based on ancient yoga text thousands of years old that stated there were eight limbs, or supports, that serve as the foundation of a yoga practice.

Yoga means union, so the eight limbs help unite body, mind and spirit. The eight limbs are:

Yama

Yama refers to a person’s moral and ethical standards and personal integrity. The five yamas that lead to decent behavior are:

Not killing or doing harm (ahimsa)
Truthfulness
Honesty
Self-control
Not being envious

Niyama

Niyama refers to self-discipline and spiritual practice in one’s daily life. This can be gained through meditation, the practice of mindfulness, and/or attending a house of worship and leading a good life.

There are five niyamas:

Cleanliness
Contentment
Spiritual control and self-denial
Study of the sacred scriptures, and of one’s self, trying to tap into your higher power
Surrendering to God

Asana

Asanas are the physical postures practiced in yoga. You have probably heard the phrase, “Your body is a temple.” Those who believe in reincarnation, as Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and others do, believe that the continually residing mind, or spirit, moves from one body to another as you would move from house to house.

Therefore, whatever new residence we live in, we should keep it in good condition. Physical health can also lead to mental health and increased concentration. Doing yoga enhances self-discipline, also important if you wish to enhance your meditation and mental abilities.

Pranayama

Without breath, there is no life, so pranayama is breath control. The word prana means energy and yama means standards or control, so the pranayama is thought to extend discipline and control and in turn rejuvenate the body or even extend life. You can do pranayama on its own, or as part of your yoga practice, such as Yinyasa, Kundalini and Hatha. Ashtanga does not do as much breath work as these yogas.

The first four limbs focus on one person perfecting them self. The other four limbs relate to how a person is connected with other living beings and the universe as a whole. This is achieved through meditation.

Pratyahara

Pratyahara means withdrawal of external awareness so we can focus within to improve ourselves. In this way we can work on our bad habits, past issues, or anything that might interfere with harmonious relationships or our own spiritual growth.

Dharana

Pratyahara creates the conditions for dharana, concentration. Once we remove distractions, we can harness the power of our mind more fully. The mantra OM helps focus.

Dhyana

Dhyana can be translated as contemplation, when the mind is most focused and able to concentrate. There is no more “chatter” in the mind, but rather stillness and clarity.

Samadhi

Samadhi is a state of bliss or ecstasy achieved through meditation, a state of feeling spiritually connected to the universe, a union of body, mind and spirit. It is gained through regular practice of physical yoga and mental training.

Most modern yogas do not concern themselves with all eight limbs, though all require self-discipline. If you are interested in yoga as a trans formative process complete with meditation and breath work, Hatha, Kundalini and Ashtanga might be right for you.

Ashtanga yoga has seven levels, one basic, two intermediate, and four advanced, and is very vigorous. Even the most skilled practitioners have rarely been able to reach the two highest advanced levels. This yoga would be ideal for people who are young and fit, but not for seniors or those with health issues.

Wonderfully Fit | Nutritional Consulting

Simple Ways to Cut Down on Saturated Fat

July 3, 2017/in Blog, Clean Eating, Nutritional Consultant

Saturated fats are fats that don’t have double bonds between their carbon molecules. They are found naturally in foods such as pork, beef and dairy products. Regularly eating foods that are high in saturated fat will cause your blood cholesterol levels to increase, which means an increase in the chance that you might suffer from heart disease or a stroke.

But, while many of us eat a diet that includes a high level of saturated fats, cutting down on those levels is simple. Here are some tips you can follow in order to keep your saturated fat levels to a minimum and your cholesterol levels low.

Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Fruit is often overlooked as a snack or dessert food. But, it provides a sweet taste without any saturated fat. Vegetables are also an excellent snack food, but may be a better fit as a side dish at dinner time. In addition, fruits and vegetables are antioxidants, and many of them contain vitamins and minerals that our bodies need.

Use Low-fat Dairy Products

You may already buy the skim or low-fat alternative milk at the store. But, there are low-fat alternatives to many dairy products. Start using low-fat cheese whenever possible. And if a recipe calls for sour cream, use plain non-fat Greek yogurt instead.

Cut Way Down on Butter

Butter is a particularly versatile dairy product that is often overused. Whether it’s spread across toast, or used in baking or frying, many of us tend to overdo it when it comes to adding butter. Whatever you’re using butter in the kitchen, use less than what the recipe calls for, or than you feel that you need. You might even cut butter out of your cooking entirely by substituting it with things such as Greek yogurt, peanut or almond butter, or mashed avocado.

Avoid Frying Your Meat

Frying meat means giving it a chance to absorb the fat from the oils that you cook it in. While some oils may be touted as ‘healthy’, others are not. When possible, it’s best to just avoid them altogether. Fortunately, there are several ways to prepare meat that doesn’t involve frying at all. The simplest alternative is to bake the meat. The roasted flavor is more than delicious. If you have access to a grill, use that instead of frying so that you can stay away from fats and give your food a satisfying grilled taste.

Consuming too much saturated fat can be a serious issue, especially if you are already experiencing problems related to high cholesterol. If you’re looking for more ways to keep cholesterol levels in check, it may be best to speak with a healthcare professional. They will be able to tell you more about what effects cholesterol have had on your body, and the steps you can take to work toward a healthy diet.

I’m Killing Myself But Have Yet To See Results

July 3, 2017/in Blog, Motivation, Personal Training

If you have ever found out yourself mumbling or thinking this to yourself, you’re not alone. This is the main factor that most people surrender on their fat loss goals on their journey to get a lean and fit physique. A lack of results can throw an icy cold towel on even the most enthusiastic spirit.

Yet, there are 3 crucial questions that you require to inquire yourself before throwing in the cold, wet towel.

How long have I been at it?
Am I doing what I’m supposed to do correctly?
Did I give it my all?

These are the 3 most crucial questions that you directly MUST inquire yourself. Your respond to not seeing results lie within these 3 questions.

We live in a world where everybody wants results rapid. They expect to lose ten pounds in a week. They wish to see their abs after a month of sit-ups. They expect a month or two of going to the gym to result in them achieving a body that would make Stallone cry.

Why?

The answer is basic. fake advertising. Most often the people aren’t to blame. The fitness magazines, infomercials, weight loss vitamins and the myriad of weight loss products that hype their products and make declares so bold they idiot the majority into thinking that the process is rapid and easy.
It is NOT. Weight loss and a lean, toned body take time. The magazines and products can’t give two hoots about the average person. These are cash making companies with only one ambition – PROFITS!

The system is broken and serves to benefit no one but those pocketing the money. If you expect rapid results, you’re in for disappointment. You can’t get a beach body in 3 weeks if you look such as a beached whale. You can’t lose ten pounds in a week by swallowing a few thermo-genic fat burners down with a bottle of root beer.

The truth is that weight loss and fitness need sacrifice, patience, sweat equity and TIME. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Give yourself time. Assuming you lose 1 pound a week, it’ll take you 20 weeks to lose 20 pounds. That’s 5 months. NOT 5 days. Do you have what it takes to adhere it out for 5 months?

You do? Excellent. Then you will see results and your hard job will pay dividends.

Next up, you have to inquire yourself if you know what you’re doing. if your goal is to see your abs and do a thousand sit-ups a day but have a body fat percentage of 35%, all you’re doing is wearing out your floor. To see your abs, you require to bring your weight down to about 9% to 11% body fat. This is fitness know-how that is so vital to meeting your goals. Do you have the knowledge? If you don’t, no worries. The internet is full of information.

Do your exploration and do what requires to be completed. don’t come up with your own ideas and train based on guess work.

Lastly, how difficult are you working out? Most people mention that they are killing themselves, but barely train at 70% of their potential. Do you surrender the moment you pant a little? Do you train till your clothes are soaking with perspiration? Or do you call it a day after one drop of sweat rolls down your forehead?

The navy seals have a saying, “Nobody ever drowned in sweat”. be sure you give it your absolute. anything you may think, you can still do that small bit more. There is yet some fuel in the tank. Once you take off training like your life depended on it, the results will come rapid and furious. You will have a feeling of satisfaction and look forward to your next training session with determination, expectation and a bit of fear. That’s ok. It just signifies you’re training difficult.

To conclude, train difficult, train properly and most importantly, give your body time to adapt and change. It took you years to crawl then walk and on balance run. If you had given up early, you would still be crawling.

Have faith and patience. You will get there. Have no doubts about it. Ever.